Mining system.



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MINING SYSTEM. APPLICATION FILED AUG. 303 |909,- RENEWED SEPT.29. 1916.

I fl., Patented 001;. 30, 191i z5 I- l f I *32 WITNELQSES.- 'ZJ/@g4 y IN1/ENT R' Mm lW. E. HAMfLTGN.

MINING SYSTEM.`

APPLlcAhoN FILED AuG.30.1909. RENEWEDSEPTJS. wie.

1,244,601., Patented oct. 30,191?.

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. Z.I a, A WITNESSES.- /y v mR Bv 'y 1 ATTORNEY W. E. HAMILTON.

MINING svsem. APPLICATION FILED AUG.30. 2909. RENEWEIJ SEIPT.29 I9Iv6.'

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I MINING SII-STEM. APPLICATION FILED AUILSG. 1909. PIEIIEWUSEPLQ, 916. I Lm I I n @amm GQ11301917.

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W. E. HAMILTON.

' MINING SYSTEM. l" PPLKATIOI HLED AUG 30 909- RENEWED S`EPT. 29| vi916- Patented. Oct. 30, 191?.

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APFUCATION FILED AUG. 3G, I909 RENVED SEPT. 29, 1916;

Patented Oct, 30, X917.

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STATES PATENT FFIQE.

WILLIAM E. HAMILTON, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO, AssIGNoR To THE JEFFREYMANUFAC- TUBING COMPANY, or COLUMBUS, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

MINING SYSTEM.

Specification of fetters Patent. Patented Oct. 30, 1917.

Application filed August 30, 1909, Serial No. 515,341. Renewed September 29, 1916-. Serial No. 122.929.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, WILLIAM E. HAMIL- TON, a citizen of theUnitedStates, residing at Columbus, in the county of Franklin and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mining Systems, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in coal mining systems, and has for its principal objects and features the following:

It is an improvement over the present systems of coal mining, especially in that it recovers all of the coal, and does so chiefly in large lump form; it renders possible much better ventilation by avoidin the old room and pillar arrangcn'icnt; it oiviates the use of expolsives and consequently the danger resulting therefrom in the falling of fractured portions of the roof or the coal body; it also makes it possible tO remove strata of foreign matter which are frequentlyfound extending longitudinally with the coal formation and embedded therein; it also carries awayv the dust, incident to the cut. ting of the coal and prevents it from becoming obnoxious to the Operators.

To accomplish' these purposes Ythus generally outlined I contemplate' the use of a sys-y teniV comprising a plurality of machines or v a continuous vertical slot along theinner end` of the horizontal channels for apurpose to be noted; v

(3). A third machine or device adapted to break down the coal thus channeled in large lumps;

(4). A machine or device adapted to gather the'col thus dislodged and convey' the same to a loading point. These constitute the essential features of my system and workmen enga ed in the business of mining the coal. Pre erably also'the 'series of posts Y is arrangzgfedI so as to be moved inwardly as the work of mining and removing the coal progresses. This may be accomplishedfnin several ways which will be hereinafter set forth. Further I provide a dust extractor in connection with the cutting andslotting machines, and an appropriate air chamber is vformed byarranging Va curtain at some distance from the working face of the coal which may be moved as the working progresses.

Reference is made to the' accompanying drawings in which-- l Figure l shows a plan view of two of the series of the machines in operating position;

` F ig. Q is an elevation of the machines shown in Fig. 1 with their supporting construction;

Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section through the body `of the coal showing the cutting machine inposition, partly in Section;

Fig. 4 shows a cutter` chain mounted for operation and a conventional source of power; .I

Fig. 5 is a vertical transverse section through the bodyo'f the coal showing the vertical Islotting machine in position and the" means of supporting and guiding the same;

Fig. 6 is aview of one form of breaking device, being essentially a penumatic toggle"y lever construction;

Fig. 7 isean end view of the construction shown in Fig. 6;

breaking device in which an ex ansionff' wedge yis used to accomplish the brea 'ng Fig. 9 is an enlarged .View in. longitudlnal section of the wedge construction shown in Fig. 10 is a ,view in transverse section of the wedge construction shown in Fig. 8;

Fig. 11 is an tend elevation ofthe cons/trucP tion shown in Fig. 8;

Fig. 12 is a view of theA slotting machine shown in Fig. 5 disclosing especially the actuating means and the means of supporting the machine;

Fig. 13 is a top view of one of theslottingv devices, partly in section, showing the source of Apower foi-"actuating the same. and the bracket supporting constructiongfor thesloti ting device. l E 'v Fg- 14 is a' front elevation of the cutting .10

. 9e Fig. 8 is a view` of an alternative form of device showing the means for mounting and `actuating the same and also the construction for swinging the same into and out of cutting position; it also shows the dust extract ing device in combination with one of the machines used in my system;

Fig. is a View showing the conveying means;

Fig. 16 is an enlarged view of the gathering or conveyer member;

Fig. 17 is a side view of the conveyor chain and conveyer member;

Fig. 18 is a side elevation ot the face of the long wall showing at A. a portici-1 ot thewall from which a cut of coal has been removed, at B a curtain. behind which the breaking machine is at work, and at C a portion of the wall which has been cut and slotted ready for the operation of the breaking machine;

- Fig. 19 ,shows two conveyer systems'in a .transverse section of the mine;

Fig. 20 is an upper plan V:View orq the conveyer supporting the truck shown in Fig. 19;

Fie. 21 is a side View or collecting tubes;

Fig. 22 is a plan. of one of the collecting tubes shown in Fig. 21.

In the drawings, the body of coal upon ot' the dust extractor which my mining and conveying system is i adapted to operate is shown at 1, a transverse section therethrough being shown at 2, the working face thereof being shown at 3. The/floor of the -mine is shown at t and the roof is indicated at 5. Parallel with the Working face of thewall is established a series or row of posts indicated at G, 7 and 8 and at other points, which are secured in position by providing at the upper and lower ends thereof threaded members 9 and l0, which are adapted to be turned into snug contact with the roof and floor respectively. The purpose of this series of posts is to support the track or guideway 1l and this is accomplished by providing a bracket meniber l2 containing the opening 13 therethrough to receive the. body of the post and having th set-screw or hand-wheeloperated screw 14 thereon to engage the post when the bracket member 12 has been positioned as desired. It is seen that the bracket member 12 is capable of being moved upwardly or downwardly on the post and in this manner the height of' the track 1l can be determined at will.. The. track consists essentially of a channel member appropriately mounted on. the bracket member 12 pears clearly in Fig. 19. Ou account of the manner of engaging the posts with the roof and loor of' the mine, the post is easily moved from place to place and when a cut of coal has been removed as hereinafter described the series oil-posts will be moved inwardly to a new position in parallel with .along with the posts to the new as ap-y zig-'resort the new face of the coal to be operated upon. A purpose of the posts is also to .which pure air is circulated.

The system of machineshereinafter described is each preferably mounted on a track or guideway 11 and is movable thercon longitudinally in either direction along the face of the coal wall operated upon, and after the coal dislodgedby the system of machines isconveycd away, the machines remain on the trackway; the track is preterably formed or appropriate sections secured together in any desired manner and the machines tl'iereon are moved inwardly operating position. This movement may be effected in any preferred manner, a number of ways being capable of use in this connection.

The irst operation necessary when coal is to be mined in the long wall system is to make a number of parallel channels or slots therein preferably in horizontal planes and in the drawings herein l have illustrateda coalmeasure which is being mined by iforming therein three such channels or slots indi- .catcd at. 17, 18 and 19; these channels are formed by means of the cutting machine shown in Fig. 1- generally at 201 and in greater detail in Figs. 3 and l, the operat- 'ing mechanism being shown especially in Fig. 14. This cutting machine comprises the frame shown generally at 2l, Q2, Q3 and 24 having the roller Q5 secured thereon tok engage the upper flange of Vthe channel trackway 11, whereupon it is t'ree to travel in either direction. The rollers Q6. 2T and 27a engage therec'ess formed in the face oi thecoal measure by the slotting operation hereinafter described and thereby'keep the cutting machine Q() properly alined along the face of the wall. The members 2l, Q2,

and 24 have formed thereon respectively the* hubs 28, 29., and 30 in which is rotatably mounted the vertical shaft 31j. carrying the gear 3Q, with which meshes the pinion 33 carried on the crank shaft 31 journaled in the arms 35 and 36, and actuated by the reciprocating connecting rods'BT and 38, driven by the motors 39 and l0. The motors are conveniently mounted on the' frame-work, but 1t is not deemed essential to show in detail the mannelof the mounting.

The shaft 3l .carries the sprocket wheel il at its upper end, 42 at its middle point, and 43 at 4its lower end, and each sprocket wheel drives a cutting chain, the chains being shown at 44, 45 and 46. The inner end of each s rocket chain is carried by a sprocket w eel 47 mounted upon the inner end of an arm 48, the three arms being mounted upon a frame member 49, journaled on the hubs28, 29 and 30 as seen at 50, 51 and 52. As shown especially in Figs. 3 and 14, the arm. 51 carried by the frame 49 has at its outer end a worm gear 53, with which the worm 54 meshes, the latter being formed on the shaft 55 operated through the crank 56. turned, the frame 49 carrying the arms is rotated, and thereby the arms with their cutting chains are positionedvfor cutting or swung out from the coal desired. In Fig. 4, is shown a plan view of a cutting chain 44 inV which it is seen that a ,series of blade bearing members 57 are connected b links 58, and the blades 59 are preferably staggered `as appears in Fig. 3, whereby the proper Width can be given tothe sl'ot or channel formed in the coal.

Shaft 31 carries thereon the' worm 60 Vadapted toy 'mesh with the worm gear 61 which is mounted at 62 on the frame, member 21. On the same shaft, or, if preferred, formed integral vwith the wormgear, -is a sheave 63 over which the traction chain 64 passes. A second sheave member 65- is mounted at 66 on the frame 21, and the traction chain 64 passing between' the sheaves isengaged thereby as the sheaves are operated through the Worm 60 and the worm gear 61. The eHectof this construction is to cause the cutting frame to be moved forward as. rapidly ,as the cutting operation can take place, the end of the chain 64being anchored by the stake 67, located appropriatel in the mine. The-.opposite end of the .Hicham-64"m`ay be connected withthe slotting machine, to exercise tractionrthereon, and similarly the 4chain may be extended to the breaking machine, it desired, and in this manner the whole system of machines' may move together, or they may, if preferred,

`The frame member 23 also carries thereon the roller 68 which is adapted tojengage fwith the channel trackway 11, and thereby aids in alining the cutting machine as it 551 -progresses in its work.

` The depths `of the slots or channels 17, 18 and 19 formed by the cutting machine in one passage through the mine is determined by the length of the supporting arms 48, and the width-of the channel or slot is determined by the degree of staggering given to the cutting blades 59. It is readily seen that more than three cutting chains may f- `be provided on Aa single shaft if desired, but` "e5 ordinarily a channel at the top and one at In this manner when the crank is` be operated independently, but in sequence.'

eration can be made. One purpose of this system of mining is to obtain the coal in 'large lumps which renders it more marketrable, and I arrange the cutting chains appropriately to form lumps that are not too ,thick to be readily. handled.

The dust arising in the Acutting operation is objectionable for several reasons and I have provided a dust extractor 'which is 4shown in Figs. 14, 21 and 22, comprising especially an inclosedgian 69 mounted on the shaft 70, rotated by the belt or chain 71, driven by the pulley 72 on the shaft 31. The fan casing is provided with a discharge opening 73, and into the fan casing leads a pipe 74, opening into the pipe 75, which carries thereon the dust gathering yblades 76, 77 and 7.8. The pipe 75 and the fan casings are mounted on-the frame 79, which is secured as shown at 80 through the swinging frame 49, and it therefore is swung inwardly and outwardly with the cutting chain above described. Therefore the dust gathering blades or tubes inserted in the slot orchannel made by the cutting machine follow the cutter and are always in position to convey away the dust formed by the cutting operation. The discharge 73 is connected with an appropriate box or receptacle.

A second machine in the series constituting my improved mining and conveying system is the slotting machine shown in Fig. 1, generally at 81; the function of this machine is toform a vertical slot at the inner end of the channel formed by.. the cutting machine 20. rIhe purposeyo ,t is slot is to render it easier to break down` the body of the coal between two of'j'tlliel arallel slots formed by the cutting machiie, and also to provide a smooth bearin rface for contactwit'n the rollers 26, 1275,` and 28, as appears especially in Fig. 1j9at 83. The slotf1 84 formedin the roof anldjSF formed ,in the floor also answer the purpose of accommo dating the drive or sprocket' wheels 86 and 87 (Fig. 5) of the. slotting fachine,.ai:'ter the coal has been broken dl'wn and the slotting machine is engaged i? operating on a subsequent cutting. Refer ing especially to Fig. 5, the roller 88 is adpted'to travel on the trackway 11, the rol er being car- Yried in the frame 89, and e roller 90 is adapted to engage and bear lalgainst the side of the trackway 11 to alinef'a` dsteady the slotting machine. il

The motor 91 ('Fig. 13) hays ,the reciprocating connecting rod 92 atuating the downwardly,

or chains 98 and 99 ieading respectively to the sprocket wheels 100 and 101 mounted respectively upon the shafts 102 and 163.` At the inner ends of the shafts 96, 102 and 103 are mounted the rotary cutters 104, 105, 106, the shaft with its cutter being supported by the arms, one of which is shown in Fig. 13 at 107. which lies within the horizontal channel or slot in which its supported shaft is operating, the shaft having a bearing in the inner end of the arm as 'shown at 108, 109, 110.

Mounted upon the outer end of the shaft 96 is the pinion 111 adapted to mesh With the gear 112 mounted appropriately upon the frame 113. Carried on the gear is the sheafe 114 over which the chain 64 takes, Tand thereby this machine is moved along through the connection of the chain with the stake 67. As the slotting machine moves along the face of the wall the rollers 115, 116 bear against the face and assist in the alinement of the machine.

After the slotting machine has accomplished its function in preparing the coal for being broken down, and providing guideways for the various machines in their next, passage over the face of the wall, I introduce the breaking machine shown partly v,in Figs. 6, ,7, 8, 9. 10, and 11, tWo designs being therein shown. Referring to Figs. 6 and 7, 'one form of chine is. shown with its frame at 1 17 having rollers 118 thereon mounted on the trackway 11, and a. second roller'119 thereon to engage the side of the trackway and assist in the alincment and support or" the ma chine. In this frame 117 is carried a compressed air cylinder 120 in which the piston 1-21 is mounted, having pivotally connected therewith the link or piston r'od 122 which at its outer end 123 connects with the toggle members 124 and `125, the former being pivotally mounted in the frame 117 at 126.

Toggle member pivotally connected at its lower end 127 with a breaking lever 123 and a link 129, which is pivotally connected at 130 with the breaking lever 131. Arm 132 is pivotally associated at 127 with the Imembers 125, 128, 129', and is mounted at its other end on the frame 117 at 133. The pipe 134 admits compressed air into the cylinder 120 to straighten the-toggle arms 124 and 125, and the former bein fixed at its upper end, the elii'ect of the action of the compressed air is to push downwardly the outer end of the breaking lever 131` The lower block of coal -135 being undercut will tend to break away in the slot 136, while the block of coal 137 will tend to break away in the slot v138. Suicient power being exerted, it is seen that the coal will be broken and as the machinel is moved along the track 11, the breaking effect is produced at succemive points, the final efbreaking ma- `the wall the sprocket on the shaft 159 which is driven generally by feet -being to break down all the has been channeled and slotted,

Appropriate means for moving the breaking machine may be provided, it being necessary only that the machine be intermittently -moved forward, remaining at one point only long enough to eiect the breakage of the coal in that region.

(.)nc form of breaking device is shown in Fig. S, different views thereof appearing in Figs. 9, 10 and'11. Referring to Fig. 8, the frame 130 is seen mounted on the roller 140 on the trackway 11, and the iframe also carries the roller 141 which engages or bears against the side of the traekway 11 to assist in alining and steadying the machine., A compressed air 'chamber 1 42 has opening coal that .thereinto the supply pipe 143, and in the chamber appropriately mounted is the piston rod 144 which is connected to thetoggle levers 145 and 146, the former being pivoted A to the frame 139 at 147 and the latter beingl pivoted at'148 to the side members 149 and v 150. 'Pivotally mounted in said side menibcrsvare pairs of rollers 151 and 152, con- 9u fined within a triangular box-like structure havingvthe upper member 153 and the lower member 154, and as the rollers are moved forward by the .expansion of the toggle arms 145, 146. they separate the members 153 and s 154 vertically, thereby setting up a stress tending to break down the body of coal beneath, shown generally at 155.r A number of these rollers is provided, and in the construction shown in Fig. S, 4 pairs are shown, 106

vthereby distributing the breakingstress over t-he top face of the block 155 and tending` to break the same uniformly. The arm 146 `may be bifurcated to engage the side members 149, 150. if desired. Anlend View of 105 the breaking machine shown in Fig. 6 appears inFi'g. 7.

The neXt step in the process of mining and removing coal is the conveying away of the Ycoal that has been cut and dislodged by 110 the machines above described; the conveying means is shown in Figs. 15, 18, and 19 espe-4 cially, and referring to Fig. 15. which is a top plan view, a large sprocket wheel 156 is mounted in the frame 157 which is appro- 115 priately anchored, and at the opposite end of wheel 15S is mounted the mechanism shown at 160 on the platform 161. A car or other receptacle is 120 shown at 162, into which the coal isl discharged through the spout 163. The'conveyer chain 164 formed of links as shown in Fig. 17 passes over' said sprocket wheels.

.At intervals thereon are carrier members 165 125 having the upturned flange 166 thereon, one such-'member being shown enlarged in Fig.

16, vThe member is pivoted at 167, thereby being rendered free to swing out of the way 0f t e" posts shown in Fig. 15 and freely 130 ipiaeoi and 158. The action of the conveyer chain 164 and the carrying members 165 thereon,

is shown especially in Fig. 15 in which one of the carrying members is seen to be moving a detached block 168, while another is detaching the lblock 169.

The process 'of the breaking and removing isconvcntionally shown in Fig. 18 in which the conveyer 164 has already removed the coal which has been cut away 4 face A. Here. are clearly shown the upper, lower and middle slots made bythe slotting machine and described above. In the portion of Fig. 18 marked B, there is shown `a section of the curtain 16, the relative li'ig. 19, behind which the portions 11,113, and

Aregions in Fig. 15,

' tem shown in Fig.

position of which is more clearly shown. in breaking machine is assumed to be at work. In the portion marked C at 170 is shown the upper portion of the slot made bythe passage of the slotting machine onta previous trip, and at 171 is shown the slot or channel made by the cutting machine on its last trip. Therefore this region of the coal face is ready for the operation of the breaking machine. The C, represent the condi-l the vthree broken-apart the coal having all been end A, the removal now tions appearing in removed from the 'taking place from not yet having been effected in portion C.

Referring to Fig. 19, the conveying sys- 15 appears traveling in the slots 172 and 173, the additionalfunction of the lower slot being herein shown, As above pointed out, the lower slot accom modates the lower sprocket wheel on the slot'- Moreover, in

Fig. Q0. The roller and cutting machine, and herein it is seen that it also accommodates the conveyer construction above described. Fig. 19, I show an alternative form of `conveyer comprisingthe belt,174 mounted on the roller arms 175, 176 having their bearings in frame 177 in the truck 17 8, which is shown in the upper plan view in tingI machine inclinedkbcing higher at their outer ends,

` havin to' receive between them the belt 174: which is laden with coal, the coal being placed thereon preferably by hand. The truck 178 is constructed. to be moved toward the body of the'coal whi his being worked. On the post 6 is mounted rotatably the bracket178 the roller 180 thereon over which the the latter being kept in 'belt 1 4: moves,

' the idler 181. The porproper position by tion of the belt mounted on the truck 17 8 carries the coal, while the upper portion 'mounted on the roller 180 is the return portion. I haveillustrated th belt only in vertical section, it being well understood how the belt would normally 4operate and how it would be mounted at its ends, and how the discharge therefrom may be effected.

leaving theJ being the moving of the trucks 178,

B and the breaking down arms 175 Aand 176 are stantially the same manner.

in the appended Y conveyer system inwardly toward the working face of the coal is accomplished at the same time that the suspending trackway for the cutting, slotting and breaking machines is removed, the only additional operation which is readily accomplished, and which, when lobated properly, may be secured in place as desired.

Either system of conveying may be used separately, ifdesired, and when the chain and carrier system is employed, it may be moved-forwardly under a succeeding cut of coal by means of the supporting frames at the ends, which are seen to be mounted on wheels.'

Elfe slotting machine herein described is not indispensable, as the mining and'removing of the coal may proceed by the use of the 4other devices described; however, it exercises a beneficial function and its use would ordinarily increase the eficiency of the system.

The various machines and devices hereinbefore described are for use in carrying out my method of mining coal where it may be done withthe so-called long wall, and the chief features of my method are seen to be the provision 'of a track way movable upon posts which also support the roof in the worked portion of the mine, the channeling, slotting, and breaking down of the coal by appropriate machinery, the provision of a conveyerI onto rectly broken'down,

or it may be shoveled which the coal may be dipliances, and also the provision of a room formedby curtaining in which the operations may be carried on.

I do not desire to be limited to the con struction .which I .have herein illustrated and described, as variations thereof may be made to accomplish the same purpose in sub- I limit myself therefore only as appears claims. A I

4 The claims herein relate to the system of mining, which I have described.A I have heretofore tiled another application, Serial No. 7 76,864 (filed July l, 1913), and reserve the right -to present therein claims relating to the apparatus herein shown and described, as one of the forms of ap aratus which can be utilized to carry on t e present system.

What Iv claim is: 1. The herein described method of mining coal which consists in cutting a horizonta kerf under the body of the coal and extendface on the said bed and in then performing repeatedly the following series of operations: forming two vertically Separated horizontal kerfs extending lengthwise of `the working face whereby thereis provided an outward extending led e of coal attached only at its inner side, 'orniing by a single .operation upward and downward extending vertical slots at the inner boundary of the lower kerf, the upper of the said slots serving to partly separate the said ledge from the main coal bed, causing a conveying means to travel parallelly with the working ace and to be guided by the downward eX-V tending slot formed in the preceding series of operations, breaking down successive parts of the said ledge beginning at the free and transporting the. coal by the saidconveying means parallelly with the working face.

3. The herein described method of mining eoal and removing it from its natural bed, which consists in torining a free working face on the said bed and a iree end iace at ,an angle to the working face and in then performing repeate'ily the following Series ofv operatiens: forming two vertically separated horizontal kerfs extending lengthwise of the working face whereby there is provided an outward eXtendin' ledge. of coal attached only at its inner side, forming by a single operation v'upward and downward the said ledge beginning at the free end face and continuing baci; therefrom, and transporting the coal by the said conveying meansrparallelly with the working face to the said end face and there transporting it at an angle to the working face.

` In testimony whereof I ailix my signature in the presence of two witnesses. end face and continuing back therefrom,

WILLIAM n. niiMiLToN.

lrVitnesses:

A. HAGER, HonACn S. Kann. 

